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By DAPHNE HUTCHINSON
Rappahannock New* Staff Writer
The planners went to work with their blue pencils at last Thursday’s meeting to edit out all references to clustering from the county’s draft comprehensive plan. In doing so, they restated their position that large lot zoning is the best tool for preserving open space and agricultural land under Virginia’s current enabling legislation.
Two of three general development goals included in the draft comprehensive plan where rewritten at the January 17 meeting.
Instead of calling for a cluster pattern in significant new land use developments, the goal reads that new developments “should be planned and designed so as to reflect a large lot pattern.”
Newbill Miller, chairman of the planning commission’s comprehensive plan committee and mayor of Washington, argued that clustering encourages the development of land that’s easiest to develop—the same land most suitable for agriculture that the planners want to protect.
"What bothers me is where are you going to have a place in the county to develop,” said Dick Latham, questioning the deletion of the cluster provision.
"They can develop most anywhere they want to,” Miller replied. If a developer meets the requirements set .down in Rappahannock’s zoning and subdivision ordinance, said Miller, 'hen the county has no option but to approve a development proposal. He 'noted that subdivisions on one acre lots are currently allowed if the developer puts in public water and sewer. Should clustering be permitted, that same developer could reduce lot size te a quarter acre in exchange for keeping a percentage of the land in open space, according to Miller. “Invariably, they use flood plain for the open space. Or in Rappahannock's case, they’ll develop all the
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